When the Dallas mayor invites you to his place for cocktails, you go — especially when there’s a good cause to toast. Such was the case at the kickoff party for the Building Hope Celebration Dinner benefiting Habitat for Humanity.

Hosts Micki and Mayor Mike Rawlings, alongside co-chairs Lynn and Allan McBee and honorary chairs Karen and Stephen Jones, welcomed more than 50 committee members for an intimate affair filled with food, wine and conversation about the upcoming Texas-style fundraising extravaganza that supports the 2014 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

During the week of October 5-11, thousands of volunteers will help kick off the event by building homes for low-income families in North Texas. On October 9, more than 1,000 guests are expected to attend the grand finale soiree at AT&T Stadium.

The gala will include a VIP cocktail reception and yet-to-be-announced entertainment. We can’t wait to see what Queen McBee has up her sleeve.

As expected with any good house party, no one left empty-handed. Guests — including Heather and Scott Alexander, Sarah and Alan Losinger, Gillian and Mark Breidenbach, Mark Shank, Deborah and David Michel, and Keith Schumann — took home house-shaped cookies as a reminder of the home sweet homes they will help build.

Since 1986, Dallas Habitat for Humanity has served more than 1,400 low-income families using affordable homeownership as an anchor for hope, change, and stabilization.